Personal Description:

I love language(s) and communication. Teaching English and ESL combines my passion for languages with my single-minded focus for teaching and helping students better their skills and performance in the subject while allowing them to tell their story effectively. Seeing my students finally understand something they have been struggling with is my favourite part of this job.

I received my CELTA certification (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) from the University of Cambridge’s English Language Assessment in 2018, and my Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in English Language and Literature from Madras University in 2007.

There is a strong practical element to the CELTA certification that requires teachers to give English language classes to adult learners. Through this, I had the pleasure of teaching students from many corners of the world including Japan, Korea, Russia, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. Many of the teaching techniques applied in CELTA in teaching adults is often extended to teaching younger learners too.

I am an enthusiastic traveler and have traveled to many countries and had the opportunity to learn about different cultures. I myself learned English as a second language in India in the convent school my parents enrolled me in. I was born in India. I have lived in Toronto for the last 3 years. In addition to English, I speak fluent Tamil and Hindi.

Tutoring Experience:

I have tutored for as long as I can remember. Right from when I was in secondary school, I remember looking over my classmates’ essays or helping fellow classmates prepare for English quizzes and exams. During my University days too, I was known to hold informal tutoring sessions for Arts & Science students in lower years whom I knew personally. They then invited a few more friends and soon I saw the class size grow quite significantly.

Later, as a CELTA student, I gained valuable experience in actual classroom teaching. Here my students were from all over the world and from many walks of life. Some of them were adult professionals (lawyers, artists, doctors, people from the service industry, and long-term tourists who wanted to study the language), others were University or College students. I have also worked with students in high school. No matter the age of my student, I have always enjoyed getting to know the person and passing my knowledge onto them through fun activities and interesting methods!

Tutoring Approach:

I like to keep it simple. The focus is on practicing and using one language item/theme per class, so the student can learn to produce it within the correct contexts. I tailor the class to the individual student and their needs. I am encouraging, supportive, friendly and attentive to detail. I enjoy breaking down difficult concepts using day-to-day examples, role plays, analogies, and even toys or physical objects. I am very patient and try to discover the best way a student can understand the material.

I believe that tutoring is a collaborative approach between the tutor, student, and in the case of younger learners, parents too. It is important that a student’s time with me is spent wisely, focusing on areas that he/she wishes to improve on. I want to understand my students’ motivations for learning English and help them achieve their goals and objectives.

It is important for me to get a clear sense of what you are looking to learn the most in a session, so I can set up the lessons accordingly. Speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary are all areas that I focus on, but I am also familiar with resume, cover letter, and interview preparation.